The Mark
by Ben Roshi
Summary: Mistakes happen. We all make them. And so does Will. What if instead of cutting into his own world, he cut into a different one. And how will he and Mary get home again? Please read and review!
1. Mistakes

Ok before we start, I'd like to say that I do not claim to own any of Philip Pullman's amazing work, so don't be angry with me please!!!  
  
Also, if you were expecting anything from this fan fiction, I'd advise you to forget about it :). This will be different, as different as I can make it that is. It'll still have those cliché points, and other blab, but I will try my best to keep is moving along in a clear and thorough way, so that someone out there might enjoy it.  
  
Another point; please forgive me for any spelling errors. I'll use spell check and proof read it, but ya know some stuff still gets unfixed.  
  
And finally, this is all sort of spur of the moment I'm afraid. I might lose interest as I do with many things. But if that is the case, just pester me about it and I'll let whoever wants to take over for me. That is if anyone's interested.  
  
But hopefully it doesn't come to that :).  
  
Well enough of my mindless blabber. On with the story!  
  
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When you're sad, or angry, or maybe a little confused, you make mistakes. You might try and take a sip of your cereal, or reach in with your spoon into a glass of juice, or perhaps think you know where something is, when it's really somewhere else. We've all made mistakes, but perhaps that doesn't excuse me.  
  
Because when I made this mistake, it was when it mattered.  
  
Was it for better or for worse?  
  
I didn't know when I made the mistake.  
  
Or for a long time after.  
  
I'm not even sure now.  
  
All I know is that I did make a mistake.  
  
I thought I knew it, thought I felt it.  
  
I was wrong.  
  
Will starred around as Mary and him left the garden. He didn't know what was going to happen next, and how he was ever going to live again. But, he thought as he wiped his hand across his face, worrying about it now wouldn't help would it. Slowly, he moved his hand to his pocket and felt the warmth of the knife that was in there. Luckily, the pieces were able to be safely brought home with him do to the amazing design of its case. It seemed that if you returned them into the case as if the knife was hole, you could snap it into place. That meant, of course, that the little pieces wouldn't fall right out of the case. But the knife, nonetheless, was still broken.  
  
Mary was in the same situation herself. She wasn't sure how much of what she'd done was known by others, and how that would effect her. For all she knew she was a wanted criminal!  
  
But, there was something in the air as they began to leave the gardens that made them forget all that. Something wasn't right, something wasn't familiar, and it darn well should have been.  
  
There's suspicions were confirmed when they began walking down the narrow sidewalk. Because out of nowhere they bumped into a strange man. He'd obviously been in a hurry, as he bumped right into them at the turn of the corner. But, he politely picked himself up and reached out a hand to pick up Mary who he had bumped into.  
  
But, as his hand touched Mary's though, he suddenly let go and fell backwards. And from out of nowhere, a look up incredible terror streaked across his face.  
  
"You!!!" he stuttered out loudly to us. "You don't have the mark!!!"  
  
"What are you talking about," Mary asked back as she picked herself up.  
  
"What do you mean you don't know!" he shouted back.  
  
Quickly after that, Will pointed out to Mary a strange red symbol on his head. It was red and somewhat transparent, but it had a strange X marked across the middle. And neither Will nor Mary could figure out just what it meant.  
  
"Look," the man said, as he quietly got to his feet. "You didn't meet me, no you didn't even see me today ok?" But, before either Will or Mary could respond, he quickly ran away in terror.  
  
"What is going on?" asked Mary out loud.  
  
"Perhaps he's some psycho religious person," Will replied. But his remark didn't put either at them at ease. Because that was not their last encounter with the mark.  
  
And, as it seems, their next encounter wasn't very far away. The streets were empty that night, and they didn't notice a single person until they arrived at Mary's flat. And that is where things went from eerie, to just crazy.  
  
As Mary approached her flat with Will, she knew something was wrong. It was painted a completely different color, and her normal empty yard had been filled with lush bushes. But, she didn't want to alarm Will so she kept this to herself.  
  
Mary fumbled out her key (which she remarkably still had after the adventure) and placed it into the lock. And, as she slowly opened up the door, a look of shock fell upon her face.  
  
Because her house wasn't empty.  
  
No, there were people living there.  
  
And once more, they had the mark.  
  
"What the heck are ya doing in my house!" shouted a man that was in the house. There were three people in there. The first was a man who was a little overweight, and what was left of his hair was black. His wife was of a similar size, and she had short blond hair. The third person was only a baby, and he lay there in his mother's arms in fear.  
  
"That's what I should be asking you," replied Mary.  
  
"Ah so you think yer smart eh?" he replied in his slight Irish accent. "Well I don't know how ya got in here, but I know one thing fer sure and that is you're leavin this instant!" And as he finished he stepped back and reached for a pistol lying on the table next to the chair he had been sitting in before.  
  
"We're not budging until you explain what is going on!" Mary replied defiantly. But after that slowly the man aimed the pistol right at Mary's forehead. But, before anything else could happen, he dropped it.  
  
"Honey!" he stuttered to his wife as he starred at them with wide eyes. "Look! They don't have the mark. They've come ta do the biddin of evil! Quick hide little Tom before they can corrupt him with their evil!"  
  
"Not the mark again," Mary muttered to Will after that. But, as the last words rolled off her tongue, sense slammed into the man in the house. He dived for the pistol he had dropped and Will, seeing this, dived himself.  
  
The man got to the pistol first, but his guard was down. Will attacked him and pulled him onto his back. They began wrestling for the gun, and a few shots went off. But, luckily none of them hit anybody, and Will finally was able to take the gun from the man.  
  
In order to escape, Will slammed the man in the face with the back of the gun, and jumped up pointing it at the man's face. Slowly he backed away towards Mary, gun still aimed at the man, and they began to plan their next move.  
  
"We'd better get out of here to sort this out," Mary whispered to Will and he nodded in agreement. Quickly they dashed away from the house, and down onto the sidewalk. At first they had no idea where to go, but the sounds of police cars emerging from one direction sent them sprinting in the other.  
  
"They must have heard the gunshots," Will said to Mary as they dashed down the empty sidewalk.  
  
"I guess we should find somewhere to hide first," Mary replied, but she had no idea where. They just continued running but they were quickly being followed.  
  
"Here let's duck into this alley," Will suggested, and Mary followed in agreement. However, this seemed to be a poor decision, because this alley was cut short by a big chain fence.  
  
"Darn it's a dead end," Mary shouted as they pounded right into it. "I guess we'll have to climb over, though it'll slow us down a lot."  
  
"Too much," Kirjava peeked in as they heard the police car stop just outside. "And they'll expect that. Look let's try our chances with hiding in those crates."  
  
"Kir," Will answered his Daemon happily. "You've been quiet lately. I thought you'd decided to quit talking forever out of sadness heh." And while Kirjava wanted to answer this, there was no time. They quickly dived into the crates, and hoped with all their lives they'd make it through this.  
  
"Stop in the name of the law of Zenureda!" shouted an officer as he walked into the narrow alley. Will had the luxury of a peek hole, and was able to see the large squad of approaching officer walk in.  
  
"Darn they must have climbed the fences," another officer spat. "Lets move out to intercept them"  
  
With that the officer left the dark alley, and took their cars in pursuit. A few minutes later, Will signaled Mary that it was safe to get out.  
  
"What the heck is going on here?" Mary said with her hands up in the air. "And what the heck is Zenureda?"  
  
"I don't think the world could have changed too much in the time we were gone," Will replied.  
  
"Do you suppose we're even in our world at all," Mary said with a hint of gloom in her voice.  
  
"I guess I could have." Will began as dread began to fill him. "I was distraught when I cut the opening. I could have made a mistake."  
  
"What are we going to do then?" Mary wondered, but she knew there was no good answer.  
  
"Well there is one thing for sure," Will replied after a while.  
  
"Oh yeah and what is that?"  
  
"If we're not in our own world, we'll only live for a decade at most. And I don't plan to spend it as fugitives." 


	2. Under Radar

Chapter 2: Under Radar  
  
Mary and Will rushed down the dark street, ducking for cover whenever they saw a light and running with all their speed. They hoped they could escape the city; it was their only hope. If they could make it to the county, perhaps they could plan their next move. But, both of them were very uncertain about what might happen next.  
  
The air was cool in the night, and the whole world felt empty. Perhaps it was news that they were on the run that kept the streets clean. Or maybe there was some sort of curfew around here. Neither Will nor Mary new exactly what time it was now after the whole ordeal, but they did know it was late.  
  
And so, they ran down the empty streets, always aware of just how exposed they were. But they couldn't run forever, and soon the sound of sirens began to approach them. They knew that they had to hide now, or else they'd be discovered within minutes by the fast approaching car.  
  
Will and Mary dived into another narrow alley, and hoped they could hide among the crates again. They hit the jackpot, the alley was right behind a large storage area, and they had a huge dumpster that Will and Mary noticed. So, throwing away their pride and any love for sanitation, Will and Mary quickly dived in it.  
  
As the sirens started to die away, Mary and Will realized they should plan their next course of action. They were bound to be discovered this way, and they had to think of something or else they were in deep trouble. But, just as Mary was about to discuss this with Will, a loud voice screamed down the alley.  
  
"I have to congratulate you," it started and footsteps began to walk down the alley after it began. "You escape quite a bit of police, but your escape ends here." Will and Mary heard the deep man's voice, and soon the light of a flashlight flooded the narrow alleyway.  
  
Slowly, he moved forward towards the dumpster, but Will and Mary were ready for this.  
  
As soon as he was in range, Will and Mary jumped out of the dumpster and tried their best to take down the man. Will tackled him on to the ground, and Mary tried to help Will hold the man down. He was a big guy in the shadows, and soon he rolled to his right, which shook off Will and Mary.  
  
Seeing the man reach for his gun, Will charged forward at him. He punched him square in the face, and tackled him again. But, the man pulled out his gun, and slammed Will in the face with it in his hand. But, before the man could do further damage, Will pulled out the gun he had taken from the house before, and pointed it straight at his enemies face.  
  
But, as Will was pulling out the gun, the man quickly reacted. He quickly used his own gun to fight back by pointed it at Mary and they were left in a stalemate.  
  
"Put the gun down or I'll kill you," Will spat as the man turned his focus back to Will.  
  
"I'll shoot your friend here if you try," the man quickly reminded Will.  
  
"I'll shoot you first."  
  
"The guns not even loaded."  
  
"Liar!"  
  
"Go ahead, shoot me if you dare."  
  
Will was angry then, and fired at the man's hand that was holding the gun. But, all the gun was able to do was a soft clicking noise because the man was indeed right. The gun was not loaded, and they were caught.  
  
"Now put the gun down or you're friend will get a bullet right between the eyebrows," the man ordered Will with annoying confidence. Will, who saw they were beat, dropped the gun to the ground reluctantly.  
  
"You should be happy I caught you," the man continued on. "If the police found you, they'd shoot you on the spot. However, there is a bigger reward if you find a mark-less alive."  
  
"What the heck is the mark," Mary shouted out at the man in frustration. Her comment clearly took her capture aback and it took a few seconds for him to regain his cool.  
  
"Ah trying to play dumb are we," he said looking at them suspiciously.  
  
"No," Will replied with the same bitterness as Mary. "We have no clue what is going on. We're not from here."  
  
"Not from here," he asked with a bit more curiosity but still a lot of doubt. "The whole bloody world knows about the mark, how could you not?"  
  
"We'll we're not from this world really," Will said with a cry of sadness.  
  
"What are you trying to tell me your aliens or something," the man spat on the ground. "Or from a different dimension?"  
  
"The second one is most right," Mary answered with the same tone of regret that Will had sported.  
  
"And you expect me to believe this?" he asked like they had just told him he was dead. "Your probably lying, if I was mark-less I'd lie to escape this too. After all, I'd lie to save my life." He starred at them for a while, and his grip began to tighten on his gun. Then he turned around to face the street. Mary and Will were about to move seeing the opening, but the man pointed his gun behind him and fired a bullet that narrowly grazed Mary's face. "The next one won't miss," he replied coolly as he looked around a little more. He seemed to be looking to see if anyone was watching.  
  
Then, slowly he turned around, gun still pointed at Mary, and then whispered something to himself. After that, he slowly put the gun back into his pocket. "Come with me," he said to Mary and Will, but this shocked them. "I know its tough for you to trust me, but I can help you out."  
  
"Why do you believe us suddenly," Will asked him as the man signaled for them to follow. He shushed Will and Mary as they took off into the streets, hiding in every little shadow they could find.  
  
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The man led them into a small office that was only a few blocks away. Its blinds were quickly pulled shut and they sat down in the few chairs he had lying around a table he led them to in the next room. It seemed the house doubled as an office and a house, one that seemed similar to something you'd find in Will's world.  
  
Finally, he locked up and turned off the front rooms lights. He was trying to make it look normal, which was a good plan. Quietly, he led them to the next room, and they sat down at the table of what appeared to be a living room and kitchen area. The place wasn't big, but it was anything but shabby. The kitchen had modern appliances and the table was made of smooth and clean wood. There was one more room past this one, which seemed to be the man's bedroom.  
  
The man gestured to Will and Mary to sit at the table, and he went to make some coffee. He brought over 3 mugs of it, and took a seat with them at the table. The light revealed that the man was wearing a deep brown trench coat and a matching hat. He appeared to be middle aged, and had a deep black mustache across his face. He was tall, about 6' 5", and had an imposing aura. He sat down and took off his trench coat, which revealed his athletic body dressed in casual clothing. Then he reached into the pocket of his pants, and flashed them with his id card.  
  
"My name is Jack Mellows," he started. "Private investigator and a bit of a bounty hunter." He smiled at the last part of his sentence. "Now I don't know why I believed you, but I have some problems with the government so I guess I'll trust you. Now tell me everything, how you got here, and why you're here."  
  
Will shifted uncomfortably, and Mary, seeing this, decided she'd tell the story. So, she went through their entire adventure from the beginning, including all of Lyra's part. She tried her best to stay brief on the parts that would remind Will of the pain, but in the end Will found himself excusing himself to lie on the couch while Mary finished the story. The whole account was brief, so it only took a couple of hours, and Jack seemed both doubtful and spell bound.  
  
"Well now that is quite a story," Jack said eyes wide as Mary ended the tale. "I guess that makes sense why you have no clue what's going on here." He got up and went to make some more coffee and then added, "That is if you're telling the truth." He came over sipping a mug of strong black coffee and the whole room was still for a minute. Then Jack asked, "You said you can see daemons if you squint just right and all, could you try and see what mine is?"  
  
"Yes," Mary answered. "In this world an in my world, our daemons remain invisible to you, but if we were in another one you'd be able to see it if we could. I'll try and see your daemon now though." Mary remembered the feeling she had to have to see her daemon, and went into deep concentration. And then, after a little while, she exclaimed," yes I can see yours. Its a fox daemon, fitting for your vocation I suppose."  
  
"Sly like a fox eh," the man sat back thinking to himself. "I guess that's fitting. Now anyways, you got quite a problem haven't you. You broke the knife you said, so you'll have trouble getting home. But I guess you could get it repaired in my world, though I'd imagine it's a tough process and it might not work."  
  
"And we can't just go up to someone and ask since we don't have the mark," Will added.  
  
"Yeah about that mark," Mary started.  
  
"Yeah I suppose I should tell you about my world then," Jack admitted reluctantly. "In my world we just have one country. It's called the League of Nations, though there aren't nations anymore. There are some advantages to it, such as free trade and little war, but there is a dark side also. Before, the league was just for trade, but slowly they gained power and were stronger then the leaders of our own countries. And then eventually they dissolved all the countries and made just one united world. It wasn't that bad, since the leaders were fair people and the world was doing well without war, but it got bad as years went by. Eventually, there became just one person in charge of the whole world, and we aren't even allowed to see his picture. I suppose it's to avoid assassination attempts. Also, there is a lot of terrorism. There are so many people who don't like the way things turned out, but they can't fight wars without a nation to be from. Also they don't have enough people or good enough leaders to wage war anyways. If all the terrorists joined together then maybe they'd stand a chance, but I doubt that will happen since most of the groups are bent on ruling for themselves. Allies would just get in the way you know?"  
  
"So, they blow up buildings and civilians for the most part. Sometimes they attack the military, but they don't have the guts to do it normally. They just stick to those who can't fight back and hope it'll cripple the nation. But that just makes it worse! The government is too cold hearted to give in because of a couple hundred thousand people, but they fight terrorists whenever they find them and that makes them look like heroes and the terrorists look evil."  
  
"And that is where the mark comes in I suppose. The government was thinking of marking all their enemies and worst criminals with a mark so that they couldn't sink through the world unnoticed. But, they realized they'd just rip off the skin that had it or cover it up. So, about 50 years ago the government decided to mark ever person in the world that they thought was decent enough to live. They figured that that way they could run inspections over anyone trying to get the mark, and they caught a lot of terrorists and criminals that way. Seeing what was happening, the currently known terrorists stayed back and were unable to get the mark. It was all going to their plan. You see, the mark isn't just paint sloshed on you in this pattern. It actually has a microchip embedded into it that shows up on scanners the police have. They use these scanners to see every person within a 5 meter radius, and if one of the people doesn't show up red on the screen thanks to the mark, that means either their mark is fake or they don't have the mark."  
  
"But how come they didn't notice that we were hiding in those crates before," Will asked. "After all the scanner would have seen where we are and we would have been caught."  
  
"That's actually something I was wondering about," Jack answered with a smile on his face. "There are a few things that it could be. First, they could have not used it because if they saw anybody out past the curfew we have in this world, then they could arrest them. However, I doubt they didn't use it because once they heard the mark-less were involved they were bound to use it. Also," Jack pulled out a round diskette that had dots on it. "You're not showing up on my scanner right here so we can forget about that theory. The second one is a bit more in depth. You see, my friend is a marker, someone who marks people at birth, and he was telling me about it one day. He said the mark amplifies a bit of innocence from a person. Probably its something you've seen in your travels. Any thoughts?"  
  
"Well," Will started. "We've both seen dust, angels, gone through worlds, and a lot more."  
  
"None of those seem right though," Jack responded. "Well maybe besides dust. I guess there could be some sort of innocence there."  
  
"You've both seen daemons," Kirjava added in. "Maybe that's it."  
  
"Hm..." Mary thought. "That could be it."  
  
"What?" Jack asked. Mary and Will both realized that he couldn't hear Kirjava.  
  
"Oh Will's daemon said something," Mary answered. "I can barely see him, but I can hear him Ok. He said that we've both seen daemons."  
  
"I guess that'd make sense," Jack answered. "A daemon is part of yourself like you said so it would make more sense then anything else. Could you teach me to see daemons Mary?"  
  
"Sure," responded Mary happy to help out. "But first we ought to plan out our next move."  
  
"Well I think we ought to get some shut eye first," Jack added lightheartedly. "Here's what will do. Lets head to sleep, and in the morning I can help you get a fake mark. You might fool the radar, but you certainly won't fool people's eyes. After that I guess we'll need to find a way to repair the knife."  
  
"One more question," Will said as he suddenly remembered something. "What is Zenureda?"  
  
"Ah shoot Zenureda is involved!" Jack seemed very distressed. "Zenureda is the private guard of the law. They get involved when the worst is happening. They also write laws too since they have good writers on their staff. I guess this will be so much tougher. Maybe guess you guy's better sleep in my room. I keep some valuable stuff in there so," he clicked a switch that was on the table and suddenly a wall came and covered the door to his room. "Its safe in there."  
  
"That sounds like a good idea," Will said. "I'm sure the angels won't mind if I use the knife one more time. We'll be home soon I hope." However, despite the optimism that floated through the room, there was dread among them. This wouldn't be easy to carry out; it could fail at any time. They had to be cautious, and most of all hope for the best. Because unless the best happened, they'd be stuck here for the rest of their lives. 


	3. Kizu Ki

Now some people might recognize this chapter as a work by one Uiruru Debunsonu. Well, that is me :D. I was once known as that, but I like Ben Roshi now. Anyways, you can confirm this and see that the story no longer exists (it was called kizu ki) and that I put in my old profile that I changed my name. I was thinking of the direction I wanted to take the story, and I went back to Kizu Ki the unfinished work so I could look for some ideas, and I realized I really wanted to finish that one! Of course I was distressed when I realized I had started another one, the mistakes one, and I really liked that one too! So, I decided I will combine them! I got annoyed at the parts about Lyra and especially Will in Kizu Ki, and I liked Mistakes version of them much better. Not all mopey and sitting around, but active in the story! But I liked the overall plot I was showing in Kizu Ki. So like I said, problem solved when I combined them! So I hope you enjoy chapter 3, Kizu Ki.  
  
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Chapter 3: Kizu Ki  
  
In a land known to none, in a heart so empty. In a sky so dark. In a world so full. There lay delicate and painful roses. Here lay forbidden forests of great beauty. Here lay trees which branches were too high to climb. Each place, called out to tempt the soul. But none dared to go. None took a risk. This was a place of order. Beyond these painful fields, and these doomed forests, was a town. The town was guarded by high walls all around it, made of light brown colored wood. There were spikes on the top of each pole, and a large gate to stop any intruder. Along the walls were paths, in which guard walked back and forth with large mystical staffs. These staffs could perform a number of spells, which were used to defend the town. There were many guards along these rails day and night. Ready to defend. Inside the fort lay houses, which looked pretty much the same. They sheltered the people, and they all took great pride in them. They were full of sealed off areas, flowers no one was allowed to smell, and pillows none could touch. And in the schools, there were books locked up, only there just in case. And old desks that could easily be replaced. For this was a world where people cherished their precious things so much, that they could never enjoy them. Wars had not been fought for centuries. But still there were large armies none the less. Change was not a growing thing. And a hard way of life was lived.  
  
In the village there was a girl. Or not in the village at the time. She now crept through the surrounding grass. And her name was Futsuu Kawari. Her family and friends called her Kawari though. Kawari had always lived a strict harsh life, but like all other girls she was used to it. But that didn't stop her imagination from living. She often was discouraged for the questions she asked, and she tried her best to forget them. But one question she asked still haunted her. And that was that everywhere in her world, was just like this. And it had always bothered her. Why? Why was everyone like this? Why did no one want to enjoy life? Instead they all just sulked in there own pride. Boring themselves, working for nothing, and living a purposeless life. But now, she knew that change had to come. It was in her name, in her blood, in her heart. It was time to take a leap. From her childhood she had always heard the stories of the forbidden forest. There were many stories about trees that reached the sky, mysterious animals whose crept around, grass as soft as pillows, and snow that warmed the soul. She thought, if she went there, and saw how amazing it was, and then told everyone what an amazing place it was, maybe, somehow, things would change. People would find meaning at last.  
  
The air was fresh and crisp out as Kawari stepped into the outside of the fort. She had to move quickly, swiftly, and daringly if she wished to avoid the guards' sight. But, she had planned for ages. She knew every path to take and every step towards victory. So swiftly she ran underneath the guards' noses. Then she celebrated as she ducked into the tall grass that lay around the fortress. Now she was on her way. After traveling for around 20 minutes, she finally began to see towering trees in the distance. The first 10 minutes of her journey were slow and gained little ground because she had to remain hidden. But once the fortress was clearly out of site. She could easily blend into the scenery and continue on normally. When she finally had to look up at the great trees, she began to run. Her eyes lit up at the amazing site in front of her. The whole world was lit up around her with sparkles. But something caught her eyes immediately. That was that it literally sparkled. Strange glowing sparkles that were amazingly beautiful made her stand in awe of the incredible site. It was like seeing fire works as a kid while being near your family. You felt safe and secure. And you saw the most amazing thing ever. Then, Kawari approached the forest slower. She saw the dramatic change from endless fields of open grassland, into brown rich earth under sparkling tall trees. Colorful bushes and plants grow around and in the trees making the world a sea of color. She ran into it and was immediately surrounded by birds and mammals crawling all around. She explored for hours, and when she knew she had to go, she almost cried. But, she was soon reminded that maybe one day, people would spend everyday here. They would be just as exited as she was, she just knew it. Her heart pounded with excitement at the thought, so she brushed away the tears in her eyes and started home.  
  
Carefully and quietly she crept back into the village. She did not want to be in trouble before she told her story. So when she got home, she was just in time for dinner. "Perfect," she thought as she crept inside her house. Every day after dinner, her family said what they had done that day. She knew this would be the perfect time to tell her tale. But she had to tell her tale right or no one would accept it. She had to make sure that her parents didn't ground her before she got a chance to finish. So she sat through dinner eating very little, and when finally it came time to talk about their days, she said she wanted to go last. So she listened to her boring brother talk about playing games in the streets with his friends, and her parents talk about work. Her father was in charge of making sure the council meetings went smoothly, basically giving orders to do this and that to make the council member more comfortable. And her mother help calculate the amount of rations needed for each family. But then it was finally her turn. She was thankful she hadn't fallen asleep during this, because when it was her turn to talk, she wanted to look mature and grown up. Now that it was finally her turn, she was proud of herself and began to speak. "Well I had an interesting day today," she started. "I want to ask you guys a question first. And that is, have you ever seen glowing sparkles all around things?"  
  
Assuming this was just a childish question, her parents responded, "no dear," Without any further thought. This was just how she had wanted it to go  
  
"Well," Kawari started. "I have. Now don't interrupt me. Today I went to the forbidden forest. And I think you guys should bring it up in a meeting to make it no longer forbidden. It's beautiful there. There are so many colors and plants. Animals scurry along everywhere you go. Soft grass blankets everywhere. Oh mom, dad, you have to go there." Her parents were so shocked by all this, that their faces went white. They were so shocked that they immediately sent Heiya, her little brother, to bed and told her to go up to her room where they would have a serious talk. Everything was crumbling.  
  
"Now Kawari I know you think that place is good, but it is forbidden for a reason," started her mother.  
  
"We never want you to go there again," continued her father.  
  
"I think it would be best if you spoke with the re-education facilitator of the head council tomorrow," her mother added in.  
  
"You have to understand, that place is against our beliefs," said her father in a sharp tone.  
  
"Tomorrow you will not be allowed to talk to anyone except the head re- educator because we don't want you spreading this around," her mother continued in a decisive voice.  
  
"Kawari that place has a kind of thing you don't understand," said his father sympathetically. "Maybe you will understand when your older or after tomorrow." Finished her father.  
  
"But," started Kawari.  
  
"No buts honey," replied her mother. Her parents left the room leaving her with cold thoughts in the cold and fearful darkness.  
  
"They are the bad ones," she thought. "Not the forest."  
  
-----------------  
  
She wasn't going to stay. She had no time to spare. She had to escape. Anything would be better. Solitude would be better. Life would be better. They were to empty here. Now she would have to leave her friends. Her family. Her home. She didn't know what was ahead of her. She didn't care. Life was meaningless here. She was leaving. After she was sure her parents were asleep, she quietly began packing what she needed. She hesitated to bring a picture of her family, but she left it knowing it would only make things worse. She brought with her all the food she had ever saved, though it was hard because the community didn't approve of saving food, a compass, a doll she had always had, a few pens and paper to help pass the time alone, and a change of clothes. She had already changed into the clothes she thought would be best for the journey. And now, she was ready to go. Luckily for her, her house was near the edge of the fort. That meant no one could see her sneak out of the window. Waving goodbye to her house with tears streaming her eyes, she crept out the window and down the side. Once she was out the window she jumped on to the wall and gripped the small gaps in the wood. Once she was on the ground, things became more dangerous. Now that she was on the ground, she did have an advantage of darkness, but darkness wasn't something common in the fort. There were patrollers on the streets shinning lanterns all around. If they came anywhere near her, she would be busted. When she finally reached the gates, she had narrowly avoided a few by mere inches of light. But, when she was a kid, she would always wander around the village, and she knew it like the back of her hand. She also had practiced climbing the walls. So her skills were paying off. Now that she was at the gate, doubt started. She looked back at everything. What was she doing? Could she survive out there? Maybe a meaningless life was better then a miserable life. "NO," something inside her told her. "What kind of life would you be living here. There is bound to be others out there. Remember the glow of the trees. Remember your dreams. Remember!"  
  
"I am scared," she said to her self now that she could talk again. Not that she needed to. Escaping through the gates was all a blur to her now. She couldn't remember how she got out, but she knew that no one was behind her, and she was free. Now, she had to move quickly to get to her destination. The deep forest. They wouldn't be able to find her there, and even if they did, maybe they would see the forest as it truly is. So now as she saw it over the horizon, she was ready to begin a new life. The forest was different at night, but not by much. It was still glowing from the light all around the plants and animals. So as she crept quietly through the forest, down the tireless path, soon she found herself unable to see the outside. When she came here last she had not explored this deep for fear of being lost, but now that she had nothing to go back she didn't care where she was. Finally, after hours of traveling, she stopped to sleep. She sat up a small place to sleep and hoped right before she slipped into sleep that she wasn't going around in circles despite what the compass told her.  
  
---------------  
  
"It's the greatest place in the world Kawari," started the voice of a boy. "You have to come with me. Tonight I am going to talk to the councilmen about it. The forest is so amazing. Maybe one day we can go back together everyday."  
  
"Oh Hajime Kodomo," responded Kawari. "You have to take me there."  
  
"I will Kawari," responded Hajime. "But first I have to tell everyone."  
  
Kawari wanted to say more, but there was no time and she found the world fading into darkness.  
  
"Excuse me sir," Kawari asked a guard. "But where is Hajimi?"  
  
"Oh little girl, I believe he is inside at the meeting. Go ahead on in. Kawari crept along slowly through the room. Then, she heard her friend talking to the members. She crept up and eavesdropped on there discussion. Unfortunately, things weren't going well for her friend. He was still talking, but he confused words, made a bad impression by shuffling around, and his voice was starting to crack. Then, finally, the council representative spoke.  
  
"Young man," started the council representative. "You realize that you have committed many serious crimes by going there. Sneaking out after dark. Sneaking outside the gates. Lying to your parents. Going in the fields around the fortress, going to the forest, spreading rumors about bad things such as the forest, and most of all, trying to bring dramatic change to shake our structure. Our structure has stood for centuries like this. We shall not shake it now. It is strong, firm, and most of all, able to survive. You threaten all our lives by doing this. We shall not bow down to your request, and you shall be re-educated. Security, escort this man to re-education." When the council was finished yelling at Hajime, Kawari heard a struggle, and then him finally being dragged out. Kawari ducked into hiding just as he was being dragged though the door and past her. Slowly, she followed them down the pathway and watched them take him to a small room. They closed the doors before Kawari could follow, but she was able to peek through a small window. She made sure to frequently check back for others, but she assumed that not many came this way. She looked back in to see them chaining Hajimi down onto some sort of table. She heard him cry out and saw tears on his eyes. Then, a large machine was pointed at him, and she turned away. No, it wasn't that she couldn't bare see her friend die. No, she loved him. And just to hear his depress pleas and screams as the security guards laughed at him broke here.  
  
---------------  
  
"NO HAJIMI NO!!!!!!" she screamed out loud. She awoke with tears on her eyes as she sat up in the middle of the forest. "No Hajime no..." she slowly whispered. "No," she said with new determination. "I will not let you down. No, I will not let you die in vain. And at least if I die soon, maybe I will be with you again. I will not give up. I will make them see their mistake." With the new determination in her heart, she sat up and began to walk again. The sun was rising still, and she thought she better make some ground before she ate breakfast. The forest was begging to grow on her, as she continued walking towards the unknown. Now that it was broad daylight, her fears began to shrink away. She was free. So she kept walking on. Why, she didn't know. What she was looking for, she didn't know. But she did know that if she kept moving, she might find a purpose. A purpose that would give her a home. A purpose which gave her meaning. When lunchtime approached, she knew because the sun was about overhead, she saw some white smoke. Immediately she worried it was a fire. But then she noticed it burned slowly, and she went to explore. She quickly noticed a shinning light as she got closer and broke into a run until she saw the most amazing sight since she started on her journey. The gold dust flew around the trees as they ended and met the sea. And on the cliff was a sparkling house sparkling as the trees did, but ten times as powerful. She started running thinking, maybe this was her place.  
  
When Kawari approached the small house by the sea, she brushed herself off in effort to appear as nice as she could. She considered putting on a fresh pair of clothes, but she feared she might need them later and decided to save them. As she stepped up to the door, she hesitated to knock. What if the person in here was a bad person? No. She saw the sparkles around the house and realized, she was as bad as the forest. And the forest had done her no harm. So she knocked slowly on the door. Then she heard a rattling in the house, and then the door opened. Who opened it was the strangest person she had ever seen. She wore a purple gown and was carrying a broom. She had a pincushion in her pocket, and a bow and arrow on her back. She had bright blond hair, and a pale and elegant face. She answered cheerfully, "Welcome, could you by chance be named, I know this sounds strange but, you know, is your name Kawari?"  
  
"How did you know," responded Kawari suspiciously.  
  
"Heh that's what I thought," said the strange women. "I know because I am a witch. Now you might think I am crazy, but I'm here to help you. But first, would you like to come in for some tea?"  
  
"What is tea?" asked Kawari.  
  
"Oh you people in this world are so strange," responded the witch with a sigh. "But come in deary, and I will answer all your questions. She came in and saw all this strange equipment on the desks. The witch pointed by two chairs by a burning fireplace and they sat down. She handed her a cup of tea. "Watch out its very hot," she warned. Kawari struggled to drink the strange drink without burning herself. Then she noticed a strange bird always staying near her.  
  
"That is a pretty bird," Kawari commented.  
  
"Oh that's no bird dear, that's my daemon," responded the witch.  
  
"What's a daemon," asked a confused Kawari.  
  
"Well I guess I better get started then," started the witch. "First off, my name is Songai Shuppa Tsuten..."  
  
----------------  
  
Kawari and Songai Shuppa Tsuten, who told Kawari that she, could call her Songai, walked through the small park in the middle of a city. Kawari was amazed by the sites she had never seen. She thought to herself, "I wonder what is going on?"  
  
"Here is the place," Songai said to Kawari as they approached a small pub. They walked in and sat down in a booth in the small and un-crowded restaurant. A man approached the table and Songai order some tea for them. As they were left alone again, Kawari began to remember what had happened before, what was going to happen, and began to soak in all that she had learned. But, before she could get to much time to her self, she was approached by Songai's voice, which said, "Well I am sure that you do not fully understand what is going on child, and why I brought you. But now, I need you to put aside your thoughts and use your eyes. I am looking for someone. He is to meet us here in around 15 minutes. So keep your eyes pealed. He is medium sized, has black hair, and said he would be wearing a red shirt. He had blue eyes, and broad shoulders. He might appear strong to you. Though I am not sure if that means much to you because in your village, you relied more on magical weapons to defend yourselves. But perhaps you will notice him anyways. So keep your eyes peeled for him." As they sat in the dark pub for watching the minutes pass on the clock on the wall, which Songai had explained how to use, and waited. Then, after a while of sitting and sipping warm green tea, a man stepped in through the door way. He was as Songai had explained so both Kawari and Songai fixed their eyes on him. He limped in, grasping his heart with his hand. His eyes were warm and looked at them smiling despite the pain he appeared to be in. He sat down next to Kawari and looked at Songai.  
  
"It is nice to see you again Tokubetsu Dairi," said Songai to him with a smile on her face, though alarmed a little by the weakened state he was in.  
  
"Skip the formalities Songai, we have no time to talk here," replied Tokubetsu. "We must move to my place quickly, we can not speak here. It is to dangerous."  
  
"Yes I understand Tokubetsu," replied Songai. Tokubetsu got up and Songai signaled Kawari to follow. They walked behind him to a small apartment across the street. If Songai was worried, Kawari could not tell because she tried to hide it. They walked inside, and Tokubetsu stumbled on to the couch. Songai immediately fled to his side. "No don't worry about me Songai," replied Tokubetsu as she sat next to him on the couch. "I have much to tell you. Let me start by thanking you for bringing the child, and then let me show you this." He uncovered from his pocket a large blue gemstone, about the size of a potato. "You still have yours correct Songai?"  
  
"Yes I do," replied Songai as she uncovered hers'. They looked exactly the same as they pushed them together. Then they both reached out for Kawari's hand and suddenly everything went white. When Kawari opened her eyes, she was in the most amazing place she had ever seen. They were floating among the clouds in a Kingdom in the sky. And Tokubetsu appeared glowing in the bright light, almost invisible. Even Songai, who had always seemed like the one with knowledge, was impressed with this. Once again they walked forward, Tokubetsu still in limp and clenching his heart on towards a private room. Songai became more worried as she saw the strain on Tokubetsu. They were now in a secluded room.  
  
"Here no one will overhear this extremely important conversation," stuttered Tokubetsu. "Now," he coughed out a bit of blood between the next few words, "you must deliver these two stones to, couch cough, the boy and the girl. They must be together, they must do it for the sake of the war, the sake of life itself." He fell over into Songai's lap and coughed some more.  
  
"Oh no my dear Tokubetsu why have you done this to yourself," replied Songai. "What has happened to you." Tears streamed down her pale face.  
  
"I was attacked trying to deliver this message," replied Tokubetsu. "I am sorry that I am putting you in danger."  
  
"Oh no Tokubetsu don't leave me no!"  
  
"All of us must leave sometime Songai," replied Tokubetsu. "We are just dust in a storm, moved around into things, separated from each other, ever blowing. We have to achieve what we need to, to keep the wind blowing. Don't forget that. That is why I must die." Songai face was red from tears as Tokubetsu began slipping away. She kissed his face for a short amount of time, before he finally faded away. She closed his eyes, and said goodbye as his body faded away. Kawari sat and watched all this in shock. She felt so bad that they had to be separated, and yet she was unable to feel the full shock of what they felt because she hardly knew them.  
  
"Excuse me madam," chimed another man from the doorway. "He shined just like Tokubetsu and lit up the room. "We have rooms prepared for you so you might rest yourselves."  
  
"Thank you," replied Songai. "We would much like that." She answered with new courage on her face. Realizing what's done was done, and feeling everything she loved slipping away.  
  
"Mam, I am sorry about what happened to Tokubetsu," said the guard. "I knew him, and he was a great person. He shall not die in vain."  
  
"Thank you," replied Songai. They walked on towards there rooms, and fell asleep immediately, and slept full of dreams.  
  
------------  
  
"Life will be hard from now on, but, I need you," said Songai.  
  
"What is the light that flows from the trees?" asked Kawari.  
  
"It is dust, well some people call it that," replied Songai. "It floats around places with human influence, and you see that ancient forest was once home to a group of people who cherished dust. They made engravings on all the trees so that it might float around their whole domain. You can only see it there though, because the air has a certain quality that lets you see dust. Normally you can't see it without some sort of tool. Dust is what our mission is all about."  
  
"What is our mission?" replied Kawari.  
  
"I don't want to suck you into this, but, it is to save everything," replied Songai almost reluctantly.  
  
The sunset in the background of the clouds as Kawari and Songai lay back on the clouds that felt like the softest of marshmallows or cotton. It wasn't hot nor cold, the wind made it perfect as a paradise that was so real. Kawari couldn't help but feel a sense of not belonging though. Everything was so perfect. The rough, dirty, rags she wore almost felt clean and soft in this world. The straw and hay that made up the bed she had slept in her whole life up until now, would fell like spikes on her back now that she felt this clean foamy, cloud. People in her world would never think it weird to lie on a cloud in the sky, for they did not know that clouds were just gas. So she was not stunned by it, or scared of falling through ever.  
  
"Save everything?" Kawari pondered out loud in the most curious of sense. This question pounded her mind in complete confusion.  
  
"A dark force lurks to destroy all we have ever built," replied Songai. "Let me explain." She proceeded to tell Kawari about the war against the authority and the result it had brought upon the world. "However, when all evil had seemed destroyed, we had forgotten about one almost as powerful, but probably more now that it has been gaining powers since its last defeat. You see, there was another rebellion against the authority. And though it failed, the leader was never killed. We contacted the leader after our victory, and even when we were beginning to fight. However, the leader disagreed to our cause. At first, we assumed it was out of disbelief of us ever succeeding. But now we know his true intention. It is to rule. Nothing else burns in his heart. Under him, we would be worse off then before. Now, we have a mission once again. We learned that he had been gaining strength. And we fear that he has a plan. Our spies however, determined this plan ahead of time. If I tell you more it will not make sense right now. Do you have any other questions?"  
  
"Well," replied Kawari. "Could you tell me more about yourself Songai."  
  
"I am a witch from the north of my world," started Songai.  
  
"Your world?" asked Kawari. Songai explained for a long time about the different worlds. How they were closed off and how they were in another world right now. "But then how did we travel, you used no knife."  
  
"These gems," replied Songai. She pulled out the two gems from before. They shined in the sunlight. "If you hold two of them together, you can teleport to wherever you want. There are only two in the entire mass of everything.  
  
"Ok, so go back to explaining about yourself now," responded Kawari, as this mystery began to form new light.  
  
"I was born in a witch clan which was one time very powerful," started Songai. "However, one day one of my sisters came back from a long journey. She told us of great things, but most of all, about the war against the authority. We flew forward hoping to help in the battle. We got there and joined under a man called Lord Asriel. When the war ended, I stayed in this world for a little to help rebuild what had been destroyed. However, one day I began to realize it was time to go. But before I could, I was contacted by my friend, Tokubetsu, who informed me of my mission. We were in love at the time, and he trusted me. It was to go to the world, your world, and wait for someone. Then, I found you."  
  
"Why did you wait for me?"  
  
"I really don't know enough about this to tell you. But I know that I must protect you, and my guess is that you'll help us out somehow."  
  
"I always wanted a purpose," Kawari started. "I always felt like I was empty and useless. But I know I had something I had to do! Ever since I was born I knew there was a better way out there. I hope this is it."  
  
"We'll work together," Songai told Kawari with confidence. "So don't be afraid." 


End file.
